Cushion-heel enlarger.



J. STROOTMAN.

CUSHION HEEL ENLABGER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 18. 1914.

I Patented Apr. 25, 1916 1 Q QX Q mu COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTOND c JOHN STROOTMAN, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CUSHION-HEEL ENLARGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 19116.

Application filed November 18, 1914. Serial No. 872,790.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JOHN S'rRoor AN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Heel Enlargers,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to heel cushions, and more particularly to acushion heel which acts as an enlarger, as a support and protection forthe foot, as a protection to hose against wear, which is cheap inmanufacture and which is provided with means for properly placing thesame on the heel Within the hose or shoe.

This invention is an improvement upon the cushion heel enlarger of myformer Patent No. 1,056,957, March 25, 1913, and its objects are toimprove upon the artl cle therein shown generally, and more specificallythe objects of this invention are to provide a heel cushion which willcompensate a short or small heel in a shoe that does not fit snugly orproperly, to afford a support of a yielding or cushion character toprevent muscle strain tending to result 1n 2. broken arch, to furnishmeans for lessening wear upon hose, and to provide simple and effectivemeans for putting and holding the same in place on the heel of the footwhen the hose or shoe is being drawn on.

A further feature of my invention is the provision of a single-piece,seamless heel cushion formed from a fiat piece of fabric or other propermaterial, which is bound after formation by a comparativelynonstretchable binding which will keep the same in proper form andshape; and a further object is to so form the cushion heel that when inplace, the side portions will be drawn in to grip and support the sidesof the heel. And further objects and improvements will be evident fromthis specification and the annexed drawings forming a part thereof, inwhich like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, and inwhich,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a foot with my improved cushion heelprotector in place ready for the hose or shoe to be drawn over it. Fig.2 is a front elevation of the heel cushion with the string in placeready to be put on the foot. Fig. 3 is a plan View of-a piece of fabricfrom which a heel cushion is to be formed. Fig. 4 is a similar view ofsaid fabric after it has been formed or molded as hereafter described.Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same in the condition shown in Fig.4. i

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the

heel cushion proper consists of a seamless, one-piece body portion 1,which in form (except as hereafter specially noted) 0011- formssubstantially to the contour of the human heel. It will, of course, beunderstood that the heel cushion may be made in various sizes, the sameas hose or shoes are made. This body 1 may be made of any material orfabric which is capable of being stamped or molded or formed, ashereafter described; but 1 employ, preferably, a strong felt, for thetwo fold reason that it is capable of being formed readily andpermanently and because it serves well the purpose of a cushion orenlarger.

The continuous edge of the body portion 1 is bound with a comparativelynon-stretchable binding 2, which is stitched on after the formation ofthe body.

Adjacent to the forward upper corners are eyelets 3, and a string,preferably a string having a lacing tip on one end, as shown at 5 on thestring 4;, is laced through the eyelets 3 as shown in Fig. 2.

With the string 4 in place as "shown in Fig. 2, the heel cushion is putin place over the heel of the foot with the string over the instep, asshown in Fig. 1, the ends of the string being tied. The hose or shoe isthen drawn on while the string holds the cushion firmly so that the heelof the foot and the heel cushion go into place within the cavity of thehose or shoe; and then the string is withdrawn. The shoe is then lacedor buttoned, and the heel cushion will remain in proper place untilremoved.

In order to secure the gripping and supporting of the sides of the heel,as above referred to, the curvature of the heel cushion in vertical,longitudinal plane is substantially that shown by the broken line 7 inFig. 1, wherein the heel of the foot in going to place first pressesagainst the upper, back portion and the forward, bottom portion beforeit settles to place in the ball portion. The result of this is that, asthe heel goes to place in the ball portion, the cushion is drawn downslightly at the forward end and pressed back slightly at the rear, thusdrawing in the upper, forward portions so that they grip and support thesides of the heel.

benefit with old or ill-fitting shoes to pre-' vent heel wear of hose.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, I have there shown the method of formingthis one-piece,

seamless heel cushion. I use a flat piece or blank 6, rectangular inshape, of any desired material, as shown in Fig. 3. This is clamped orpressed between two dies or molds'of'the desired form and which areheated. I Vith pressure and temperature adapted to the material employedthe blank takes permanently the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5. With blanksof ordinary felt the "temperature employed is about 350 degrees F., andthe pressure about 90 pounds per square inch. It will be seen that thematerial inthe process of formation has been taken up somewhat, as shownin Fig. 4, so that the rectangular size is reduced. With the heelcushion thus formed, thennformed edges are trimmed off and the binding 2is stitched over the. continuous edge, and the eyeletsS are inserted. p

The advantages of these improvements are selfevident; but it isspecially to be noted (1) that the formation :of the same from a singleblank, without seam or joint, is in itself. an important feature both asregards cost of manufacture and comfort in wearing'; (2) that thebinding being stitchedon after' formation materially assists inretainingthe form and shape of the structure; (3)

th'atthe employment of the string and eye"- lets'for putting the heelcushion in place and holding it in place while the hose or shoe is beingdrawn on is very material. In fact,

this feature of my improvement makes it possible practically for thefirst time in the use of heel cushions to use the same outside the hosewith perfect ease and accuracy of positioning within the shoe.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself strictly to the form oroutline shown. For example, the rear portion may extend upwardly muchmore than in the form shown in order to protect the cords at the back ofthe heel; or the forward, bottom portion may be extended to cover agreater portion of the bottom of the foot.

I claim I. A heel cushion having the general shape of the heel of a footand a string engaging through the forward, upper portions of said heelcushion, capable of engaging over the instep of the foot to hold theheel cushion in position while going to place in hose or shoe, saidstring being capable of withdrawal after the heel cushion is in place inthe shoe.

2. A heel cushion having a general shape of the heel of a foot, eyeletsin the forward, upper portions thereof and a string for engaging in saideyelets, whereby said heel cushion may be held in position while goingto place in hose or shoe and whereby said string may be drawn outentirely when the heel cushion is in place in the shoe.

3. A heel cushion of the type described comprising a one-piece body of acushioning and yielding character having the general contour of thehuman heel, a binding stitched over its continuous edges, eyelets in theupper, forward portions thereof and a string passing through saideyelets, said string being capable of withdrawal when the heel cushionis in place in the shoe.

JOHN STROOTMAN.

Witnesses:

F. M- ROESSLER, J. Enw. THEBAUD.

Gopiesof this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or I'atena,

. ,Washington, 110'.

